Ji Tongzhou never got to see his unborn child. Miao Qing’s body was covered with a white cloth and hastily buried the next day.
At that time, he sat in the courtyard, looking at the group of young women in white robes with red flowers beside him. Suddenly, he felt that everyone looked like Miao Qing, yet none of them were her. The way they looked at him was subtly different.
For some reason, he had barely noticed this little maid before her death, but after she passed, he often recalled her words and actions. The way she looked at him with tender affection after becoming pregnant, and those seemingly trivial and nagging reminders – although he was an immortal, she always worried about him catching a cold or getting tired. Fearing he might lose patience, she always gave her instructions in small fragments.
She often said, “Although the Prince is a lofty immortal in others’ eyes, to Miao Qing, you’re still a man who can’t take care of himself. If something were to happen to Miao Qing, I don’t know if there would be anyone who could take care of the Prince better than Miao Qing.”
Thinking of this, Ji Tongzhou felt dejected. After Miao Qing’s burial, he dismissed all the young maids from the prince’s mansion. He spent two days alone in his room, lost in thought. On the third day, his master, Wu Zhengzi, came.
Although he had already achieved immortality, Wu Zhengzi was still his master, and his concern for him remained as it had always been. Upon learning what had happened, Wu Zhengzi flew into a rage, berating him for his disregard for human life. He explained that immortals and mortals inherently couldn’t produce offspring together. Cultivators’ bodies, having been tempered by spiritual energy, were fundamentally different from mortals. This was why cultivators had Dao partners – not just because of their comparable lifespans after cultivation.
He didn’t know, but Miao Qing must have known. Everyone in the prince’s mansion probably knew, yet they said nothing. No wonder Miao Qing always looked at him that way, no wonder the stewards often looked at Miao Qing with pity.
He had failed this woman. Years ago, he had righteously questioned Princess Lan Ya if she had ever seen the look in a woman’s eyes when she truly loved someone. Now he realized he had received such love, only to discard it with his own hands.
Later, he stayed away from Duantu for a long time. Lan Ya sought him out countless times. The last time, she waited for months at the entrance of the Xingzheng Hall, finally meeting him. Although his hair was white, he still had the appearance and physique of a 20-year-old, while Lan Ya looked like a woman nearing thirty.
She stared at him for a long time. Over the years, she must have deliberately dressed up each time, hoping to see him. Perhaps she hadn’t considered that the once perfectly matched golden couple would have such a great difference in appearance. A woman nearing thirty dressed as a young girl, appearing so comical and ridiculous the moment she saw him.
Lan Ya burst into tears, covering her face and sobbing, “I never thought the Prince would still be so youthful, while Lan Ya has aged.”
The difference in innate talent resulted in a huge disparity in appearance after achieving immortality. Those who took hundreds of years to become immortals often had weathered faces and graying hair. Lan Ya had always paid great attention to her appearance and demeanor. Perhaps before seeing him, she still thought about flattering him as before, accompanying him, even becoming his Dao partner. But now she couldn’t bear this difference, crying inconsolably.
Ji Tongzhou looked at her silently, then spoke after a moment: “A hundred years have passed. What youth is there to speak of? We have long since grown old.”
Princess Lan Ya looked up, hope rekindling in her desperate eyes. Her gaze was still full of desire, but not for him as a person, but rather for all the glory he brought. Years ago, when the vassal states rebelled with Wu Gou, Ji Tongzhou, after becoming immortal, destroyed many of the rebellious states but spared Zhao Yang, which belonged to Lan Ya. That was his repayment to her; she still held some weight in his heart.
She gracefully bowed to him, now the Immortal Xuanhua, and said softly, “Lan Ya is willing to serve the Prince, never slacking for the rest of her life.”
Ji Tongzhou replied coldly, “There’s no need.”
She spoke again, feigning shyness and shame: “Lan Ya knows her beauty has faded…”
“It has nothing to do with appearance,” Ji Tongzhou turned his gaze away, his voice icy. “Leave. Don’t appear before me again, and don’t mention me or anything from the past to anyone. If I hear even a whisper, I won’t spare your life this time.”
Lan Ya looked at his eyes in shock, suddenly understanding. He wanted to be the brand new, spirited Immortal Xuanhua, wanting to sever all ties with the filthy, weak past. This fragile man was unwilling to face everything, so he buried it all with his own hands.
But would the past truly cease to be the past this way? A hint of mockery arose in her heart. The next moment, she was frozen in fear by the overwhelming black flames.
Ji Tongzhou stared at her coldly from behind the black fire, slowly saying, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Lan Ya remained silent for a long time, finally bowing gracefully again. With mockery and fear, she turned and left, never to appear again. He despised her heart which had been consumed by worldly desires, but if she had loved him like Miao Qing did, would he have found happiness?
Today, he is the world-renowned Immortal Xuanhua. Under his leadership and protection, the Yue Kingdom had become incredibly powerful, with no one daring to offend it. In terms of talent and cultivation, he stood above all others; in terms of prestige and power, he was unmatched in the world. But the fire in his heart still burned. Until when would it burn? When would he be satisfied and know happiness?
Laughter came from outside. It was Ji Jing Wu again, chatting with the pretty maids of the prince’s mansion.
Ji Tongzhou opened the window to see Ji Jing Wu gesticulating wildly in the snow-covered courtyard, talking to two young maids about something, making the girls laugh uncontrollably. It was a miracle that the Yue Kingdom’s royal family could produce such a naturally charming boy.
Sensing his master watching, Ji Jing Wu immediately shrank his neck and approached obediently. Ji Tongzhou was in a low mood today and had no heart to rebuke him. He only asked, “Do you like them?”
Ji Jing Wu was stunned for a moment: “Master, what kind of ‘like’ do you mean?”
“Your many senior and junior sisters at Xingzheng Hall, the junior sister from Wuyue Court last time, and now the maids of the prince’s mansion. Who do you like?” Ji Tongzhou was curious about this child’s inner thoughts.
Ji Jing Wu never expected his master, who usually only urged him to cultivate more, to show signs of wanting to have a heart-to-heart talk. He didn’t know whether to be shocked or pleased and mumbled while rubbing his head, “I-I don’t know. I just like talking to them. It always feels relaxing and enjoyable.”
“So you don’t know who you like yourself,” Ji Tongzhou rarely showed a hint of a smile. “Let me ask you, why do you cultivate? To have all the beauties in the world?”
Ji Jing Wu hurriedly shook his head and stammered, “To become powerful? To protect the Yue Kingdom?”
It seemed he didn’t even know what he wanted, just like Ji Tongzhou in his youth. Ji Tongzhou said lightly, “I was much like you when I was young. Life was comfortable, I could get whatever I wanted and didn’t know the urgency. Four hundred years ago, the Yue Kingdom nearly faced annihilation, which made me who I am today. Do you also need to experience a disaster to wake up?”
Ji Jing Wu’s face changed instantly but soon became resigned. He said softly, “With you here, Master…”
Yes, with him here, so he had no worries. Now he could finally understand some of Xuan Shanzi’s thoughts from back then.
“I’ve rarely spoken to you about the past because you were too young,” Ji Tongzhou looked at him. “But now you’re twelve, you should understand some things. It will be harder to shape you when you’re older. The most important thing is to know why you cultivate and to understand the heart of cultivation. Let me ask you, if the Yue Kingdom were destroyed and you had no power, would you be afraid?”
Ji Jing Wu’s face changed again, and he nodded silently, “…I would.”
Ji Tongzhou nodded: “I can’t protect you forever. There are too many unexpected accidents in this world. Two hundred years ago, I nearly lost my life. There were so many people waiting to take advantage of that moment, but you haven’t experienced it. Perhaps if you read the records in the library, you’ll understand.”
Ji Jing Wu softly answered yes, and Ji Tongzhou went on to describe some of the dangerous events from the past in detail, making the boy’s face pale. In the evening, the steward brought some ancient records, all accounts of the past written by historians 400 years ago. The next day, when Ji Tongzhou saw Ji Jing Wu again, it was clear the child hadn’t slept well, his expression much more solemn than before.
The current Emperor of the Yue Kingdom came to the Prince’s mansion early to pay his respects. As soon as Ji Jing Wu saw his father, he immediately asked, “Father, are all these records true?”
He held up a book of historical records, asking very seriously. It seemed the child still trusted his father more.
The Yue Emperor’s expression was serious as he nodded, “That’s right. You should have read these long ago. Don’t think everything in this world comes easily. Do you know how much effort Immortal Xuanhua has put in for our Yue Kingdom to be what it is today? Being able to become his disciple is truly a great fortune for you.”
Ji Jing Wu finally believed completely and hid alone in his room, lost in thought. The Yue Emperor smiled bitterly and bowed before Ji Tongzhou, saying softly, “Immortal Xuanhua, Jing Wu is an extremely mischievous child. Please discipline him strictly.”
Ji Tongzhou said lightly, “If I discipline him too harshly, this child might lose half his life, or even have his personality drastically changed. Are you willing to accept that?”
The Yue Emperor replied, “That’s still better than him not living up to his potential and wasting his good talent.”
Ji Tongzhou smiled. He had planted the seed of fear in Ji Jing Wu’s heart. How it would grow was beyond his prediction.
He called for the steward: “Go and call Jing Wu. I’m taking him to the Eastern Sea.”
In the Eastern Sea, there was a fierce beast called Shen, which could make people see what they desired most and feared most in their hearts. This journey might not only be a trial for Ji Jing Wu but also a test for himself. The ripples stirred by the items gifted by Zhao Min, he needed to finally calm them.